Nineteen years after Felipe Lopez came to St. John’s as a Sports Illustrated cover boy — the great hope from Harlem’s Rice High School who was expected to lead the program back to the Final Four — another hyped freshman has come along.

Rysheed Jordan, the highest rated recruit of the Steve Lavin era, doesn’t have the unfair expectations placed upon Lopez from the time he arrived in Jamaica, Queens, or the limited supporting cast. But Jordan, the Big East preseason Rookie of the Year and a gifted point guard from Philadelphia, has piqued Lopez’s interest.

“He’s pretty poised and he looks very mature for his age,” the former St. John’s star said by phone prior to Friday night’s Red Storm Tip-Off event at Carnesecca Arena. “ The most important thing is [the] control he has and that means a lot for a freshman.

“Coming in and having poise and patience, letting things come to him. I don’t see him having any kind of trouble because of the poise he has.”

Lopez, sixth on St. John’s all-time scoring list, is now working as an ambassador with NBA Cares, and was on hand at Carnesecca Arena, playing in the alumni game before the 2013-14 men’s team was introduced.

Jordan impressed the large crowd during St. John’s red-white scrimmage, showcasing his quickness, court vision and leaping ability. During a slam-dunk contest, he leaped over 6-foot-8 teammate God’sgift Achiuwa for a windmill jam.

“I thought for a debut performance, Rysheed played well,” Lavin said. “Obviously it’s different when you get to playing a team of Wisconsin’s caliber on Nov. 8 [in the season opener] away from home, but this was a step in the right direction.”

Lopez, who played five years in the NBA, was a dynamic shooting guard ranked as the top high school player in the country coming out of Rice in 1994. Jordan is a pass-first point guard rated in the Top 20. Though Jordan has received early accolades — as Lopez did — the hype attached to him is nothing compared to what Lopez dealt with prior to his freshman year. Lopez enjoyed a solid, though underwhelming career, making the NCAA Tournament just once.

“It was a great challenge for myself,” Lopez recalled with a bit of nostalgia. “[The hype] really put me under the heat, the hot seat, my first minute into my first game. Expectations were great, not just in New York City, but the whole country.”

The 6-foot-4 Jordan doesn’t have to do it all immediately, as Lopez was expected to do. Jordan is surrounded by veterans, such as D’Angelo Harrison, Phil Greene IV and JaKarr Sampson, to lean on.

“It’s really good timing,” Lavin said.

St. John’s is bringing Jordan along slowly — Lavin won’t make him available to the media until the end of December, a move Lopez lauded — allowing the freshman to find his way.

“The time will come when he’s ready to take that responsibility,” Lopez said. “You have to be able to enjoy yourself, enjoy the praises, but don’t forget about your work ethic.”

Jordan is just a piece of the puzzle, part of what Lopez thinks can be a special group — which is why when Lopez attended a recent practice, he gave the team a lecture much like the one he received as a player about the possibilities out there.

“Don’t waste a minute,” was the gist of the speech Lopez received, and it was a message he passed down.

When he left his old school after that recent practice, the former star couldn’t help but feel jealous. Lopez sees all the talent Lavin has to work with, the depth and experience and raw ability of returning players such as Harrison, Greene and Chris Obekpa and the potential of newcomers Orlando Sanchez, Max Hooper and Jordan. The memories came rushing back to his four years at the Queens school, and what could have been.

“I was envious,” Lopez recalled with a laugh. “The way they look, how much fun they’re having, I wish I could have a year left to go back [to St. John’s].”